Choosing a font for your logo? Consider this.

December 20, 2014

CONSUME CREATIVELY

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While some logos are merely design elements, a typical logo includes a graphic and a few important words: a business name. And what do words require in design? A typeface!
Picking a font, or fonts, for your logo can seem like a daunting task; there are a million fonts out there. Okay, maybe not a million, but there are definitely enough to leave your head spinning.

And you may ask yourself…

Some questions to consider while perusing those “million” typefaces are:

  • In what sizes will my logo be used and for what purposes?
  • Does this specific typeface have any weird characters?
  • Should I incorporate a second font?
  • How does this font make me feel? Does it make the right statement?

What will these questions help you to discover? Let’s discuss!

In what sizes will my logo be used?

fonts

When looking for a font, it’s important to consider the many uses of your logo. While you may start with your logo on the side of your business building, you may need business cards in the future, so be conscious of font size when looking for that perfect fit. Most fonts are easy to read at a larger size, however definitely keep in mind that fonts on a business card can be as small as 6pt.

The above example shares a variety of fonts. You can clearly see which fonts translate well large and small, or which would only display well at a large size. If a font is only legible on a larger scale, it’s not the best option for a logo; it would not size down well for a letterhead or a business card.

Does this specific typeface have any weird characters?

weird character fonts

Plan out the text you want to include in your logo before looking for fonts. It will be unfortunate if you find a font you love and later find out the “g” you need to use looks like a mere squiggle. (It happens.)

Over there are examples of fonts with characters I find weird. I don’t care for characters that have a break in them, like the PT Sans “Q”. The Raleway “Ww” just drives me nuts with too many points going every which way! I like most of the lobster characters, but I really dislike that little wing on the “H”.

Moral of this story is, avoid possible disappointment by checking out all characters, upper and lower cases, before getting to work on your logo.

Should I incorporate a second font?

It may seem like a good plan to, perhaps, have your two-word business name in two different fonts…and it could be! But you must be careful, pairing fonts can be tricky. Check out these examples of MayeCreate designed logos.

GILS Management Group Logo
The Pointe Logo

If you’re combing fonts it’s best to make sure one of the two is more simple and minimalistic. Two complicated fonts together can create a big ole mess. Try combining a serif font with a sans serif.

When sticking with a single font, to add visual difference, try using upper and lower case as illustrated in The Pointe’s logo. The text appears as two fonts, but actually all the text is Lato.

How does this font make me feel? Does it make the right statement?

Did you know fonts themselves can make statements and evoke feelings? If your business is a gym, for example, you’d want your font to be strong, solid, “heavy”. From the fonts above, Open Sans would be a good, sturdy gym logo font. On the flip side, if your business is a women’s clothing boutique, you may want a softer, more subdued font, perhaps, Adobe Jenson Pro.

When checking out fonts, keep an open mind regarding how they make you feel. Does it appear cramped and uncomfortable? Does it make you say, “Yeah!” or do you have to squint just to look at it? If your font makes you feel good, chances are it will have the same effect on your audience.

Who Manifested This Madness?

Monica Maye Pitts

This fabulous human, that's who.

Monica Maye Pitts

Monica is the creative force and founder of MayeCreate. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis in Economics, Education and Plant Science from the University of Missouri. Monica possesses a rare combination of design savvy and technological know-how. Her clients know this quite well. Her passion for making friends and helping businesses grow gives her the skills she needs to make sure that each client, or friend, gets the attention and service he or she deserves.

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